Pipe organ



' J'une'l7, 1930. M. HESS 1,764,682

I PIPE ORGAN Filed June 25, 1928 I/v WEN TOR Q1?" WM 5 y BY TTORNE Y5.

Patented June 17, 1930 STATES ATNT FFICE MAX HESS, OF MAPLEVTOOD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE KILGEN & SON, INCL,

' OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI PIPE ORGAN Application filed. June 25,

This invention relates to pipe organ actions of the type that comprise groups oi pipes whose valves are actuated by electrically-operated devices, usually electro- 5 magnets, that are governed by a circuitcontrolling mechanism which is of such construction that the organist, by manipulating devices under his control, can cause all or only a portion of the pipes constituting a group to speak or operate, when the key that is associated. with that particular group is actuated.

In conventional pipe organ actions of the general type mentioned the circuit closing mechanism comprises groups of individual contacts arranged in the respective circuits of the magnets that control the valves of the various organ pipes, groups of conductor bars or hot bars combined with the keys g of the organ in such a manner that when a key is actuatedthe hot bar that co-operates with that particular key will move into engagement with the contacts associated with the particular group of pipes which said key controls, thereby causing the valves of saidpipes to open, and means under control of the organist for rendering inoperative one or more of the contacts of each group of contacts in the event it is desired to produce v a different combination of tones, or, in other words, cause only some of the pipes constituting a group to speak when the key that is associated with that particular group of pipes is actuated. Theconductor bars or hot bars generally consist of rockably mounted yoke-shaped members arranged in parallel relation and combined with the organ keys in such a way that the act of depressing or operating a particular key causes the hot bar associated with that key to rock or move into engagement with the group of contacts with which said hot bar is associated. The contacts that co-operate with the hot bars consist of resilient devices arranged in groupsat one side of the hot bars. The

meansthat is used to shift selected contacts .into' an inactive position so as to produce diiierent combinations of tones, consists of reciprocating slides arranged in parallel F relation to each other, at right angles to the 1928. Serial No. 288,153.

hot bars, and combined with the contacts in such a way that movement of each of said slides in one direction will shift into an inactive position one contact of each of the various groups of contacts, thereby holding these shifted contacts in such a position that they will not be engaged by the hot bars with which they co-operate, in the event said hot bars are rocked by depressing the keys with which they are combined. The slides just referred to, in addition to being used for shifting the contacts into an inactive position, are also used to hold said contacts spaced away from or out of contact with the hot l are when the organ keys are at rest, or in their elevated position. In the past considerable trouble has been experienced with controlling mechanisms of the general type above referred to, on account of the slides failing to hold the contacts spaced away from the hot bars when the organ keys are at rest or in their raised position, thus frequently resulting in an organ pipe Cyphering at a time when it should be silent.

The object of my invention is to overcome or remedy this defect of circuit controlling mechanisms of the general type mentioned, and to this end I have devised'a circuit controlling mechanism which is equipped with insulators that are associated with the various groups of contacts in such a way that said insulators serve as abutments on which the contacts rest when the organ keys are in their raised position, thereby eliminating the possibility of the contacts accidentally moving into engagement with the hot bars, due to wear or lost motion in the slides used to shift the contacts. In other words, my improved controlling mechanism is distinguished from conventional controlling mechanisms of this general type, in that the slides are not depended upon to maintain the contacts in properly spaced relation with the hot bars when the organ keys are raised, but, instead, an insulator is combined with each group of contacts in such a way that it limits the movement of the contacts of that group towards the hot bar with which they co-operate, andv serves as a ri id abutment that determines the position 0. the contacts relatively to the hot bar, when said hot bar a is in its inactive or idle position.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a fragmentary top plan view of a controlling mechanism for electrically-operated pipe organ actions embodying my present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of said mechanism, taken on a plane parallel to the'organ keys.

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views, taken on the lines 33 and 4- 1: of

Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a wiring diagram. V v I Referring to the wiring diagram, the reference character A. designates an organ pipe, 113 designates a wind chest, C designates a valve that isadapted to be opened so as to permit air under ressure to pass from the wind chest B into t e pipe A, and thus cause said. pipe to speak or to operate, 1) designates an e'l'ctro magnet that is used to move the valve G into' its 'openpositiom a: designates the energizing circuit for said magnet, y designates a source of electrical ener and .2 designates as an entirety a controlling mechanism 'jforthe circuit w.

Th'ejsaid'controlling mechanism comprises 'groups'of resilient contacts 1, each of which is arranged: in the circuit of an electro-magnet that is used tojactuate the valve ofone pipe of the organ, groups of conductor bars or hot bars 2 that co-operate with the contactsl, groups'of'slides or other suitable actuating devices 3 that are usedto shiftthe contacts 1' into an inactive position with relation to'the hot bars', supply contacts 4 that normally'bear upon or engage the hot bars, and thus supply electrical energy to the same, and 'groups ofinsulators S that used to'normally hold said contacts. spaced away from the hot bars 2. The actuatingdevices 3 that are used to shift the contacts into an inactive position are of conventional construction and consist of slides disposed at right angles toj the hot bars and provided 7 with"v slots up through which the contacts 1 project. By moving one of the slides 3 endwise, by"manipul'at1ng an operatingdevice,

not shown', that is attached to theslid e, the end wall of theslot in the slide will. engage the contact-and move said contact intoan inactive position. The action comprises keys 5 whichjare combined with the hot bars 2 in such away that when any .one of said'keys is depressed or operated, the hot bar 2 that is associated-with that particular key. will rock oroscillate in a direction to -.engage the contacts 1 of. the group with which said hotjbar co-operates, thereby causting all of theorgan pipes of that particular group to'speak or'to operate, providin'gno contactof this group has previously been shifted into an inactive position by manipu lation of onexor theother of the slides 3.

Thehot' bars 2 are of conventional conraised position. 7 T

mally bear struction and consist of substantially yokeshaped metallic members arranged in parallel relation to each other and rockably mounted in a supporting structure 6. The contacts 1 are also of conventional constructionand consist of resilient devices mounted on the supporting structure 6 and arranged in groups at one side of the hot bars. The slides 3 are also of conventional construction and consist of reciprocating 7 devices arranged parallel to each other at right angles to the hot bars and provided with slots 3 rods R in the supporting structure 6 that are arranged arallel to the hot bars, preferably above sai hot bars, as shown in Fig re 4, and disposed in such relation with said hot bars that they will serve as 'abutments for the contactsl that effectively prevent. said contacts from striking againstthe hot bars when the 'organlkeys 5 are idle or intheir e" sup 1 contacts'4 do not engage the insulators gilzutinstead, noru on the hot bars2, as shown in Figures 1111134. p

When one of. the keys 5 is depressed the hot bar 2 that is associated with that particularkey will rock into engagement with the contacts 1 ofthe group with which said hot bar co-operates, thereby establishing electrical connection between said contacts and the supply contacts 4 that bear upon the hot bar, with the result that all of the organ pipes associated with this particular group of contacts will 0 crate, due to the 'openin If. the organist desires to produce a ifierent combination oftones he moves certain of the slides 3 in a directionto shift into an inactive position certain of the contacts'l of the group of contacts that is associated with the groupof pipes which is to be used to produce this particularcombination, andthere- "after, when the key 5 that governs this group of pipes isdepressed, the hot bar that s combined with that particular keywill e's- .110. of 'thevalves 0 said pipes under the in uence of their actuatingma nets D.

tablish electrical-connection between the sup ply contacts 4 and only those contacts 1 of the group whichhave not been shifted into an inactive position. In Figure 4'the hot contacts is illustrated as having been rocked into its operative position so as to close the various circuits'in which the contacts 1 of bar that controls the intermediate group of this group are arranged, this rocking movement of the hot bar having shifted the contacts 1 out of engagement with the insulator S on which they normally rest. hen the key 5 associated with that particular hot bar moves upwardly back to its former position, the contacts 1 which the hot bar controls move to the right into engagement with their co-operating insulator S, thus opening the circuits and insuring said circuits remaining in an open condition, due, of course, to the fact that the contacts 1 cannot accidentally move into engagement with the hot bar. In Figure 4 the two groups of contacts l at each side of the intermediate group of contacts are shown in their normal position in engagement with their co-operating insulators S.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: g

1. In a circuit controlling mechanism for electrically-operated pipe organ actions, the combination of an organ key, a plurality of contacts arranged in separate circuits, a conductor bar capable of co-acting with all 01"" said contacts simultaneously combined with said organ key in such a way that the operation of depressing said key causes said conductor bar to move towards said contacts,

means for enabling said contacts to be shifted individually into an inactive position with relation to said conductor bar, and a separate and distinct means for preventing the contacts fromvassuming such a position as to engage the, conductor bar when the organ key is in its raised position.

2. In a circuit controlling mechanism for electrically operated pipe organ actions, the combination of an organ key, a group of contacts associated with electrically-operated devices that control separate pipes of the organ, a conductor combined with said organ key and adapted to be moved by same into an operative position with relation to said contacts so as to supply electrical energy to the circuits in which the active contacts are located, means whereby any one of said contacts can be shifted into an active position where it will not be engaged by said conductor when said conductor is actuated, as above described, and an insulator that cooperates with said contacts to normally hold the same out of engagement with said conductor when the organ key is in its raised position.

3. In a circuit controlling mechanism for electrically-operated pipe organ actions, the combination of an organ key, a contact arranged in an electric circuit, a conducting device combined with said organ key and adapted to be moved by same into engagement with said contact so as to energize the circuit in which the contact is located, means for shifting sald contact into an inactive position with relation to said conducting device, and an insulator arranged so that it serves as an abutment on which the organ key rests when said contact is in its raised position.

4. In a circuit controlling mechanism for electrically-operated pipe organ actions, the combination of organ keys, groups of contacts arranged in electric circuits, each of said groups being associated with a group of organ pipes, groups of conductor bars adapted to co-operate with said contacts and combined with said organ keys in such a way that the operation of depressing a key causes the conductor bar combined with said key to move towards the contacts of the group with which said bar is associated, means whereby selected contacts of said groups can be shifted into an inactive position with relation to their co-operating conductor bars, and devices for preventing said contacts from assuming such a position as to engage or bear upon their co-operating conductor bars at a time when the keys controlling said bars are in their raised position.

5. In a circuit controlling mechanism for electrically-operated pipe organ actions, thecombination of organ keys, contacts arranged in groups, groups of conductor bars adapted to be operated by said organ keys and arranged so that each one'of said conductor bars extends alongside of a group of contacts, means for supplying electrical energy to said bars, shifting devices combined with said contacts for moving them into an inactive position with relation to said conductor bars, and insulators arranged so as to normally hold the contacts of the respective groups out of engagement with their co-operating conductor bars when the organ keys are in their raised position.

MAX HESS, 

